Skeleton Crew
NecromancyNecromancy spells manipulate the power of death, unlife, and the life force. Spells involving undead creatures make up a large part of this school.
PFS Legal
Available to
- Casting Time
- 1 standard actionMost spells take 1 standard action; others list 1 round, 1 minute, or more, or use a swift or immediate action.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Components
- V, S, MV (Verbal): A spoken incantation; you must be able to speak in a strong voice. A silence effect or a gag spoils it, and being deafened risks failure.S (Somatic): A precise movement of the hand; you must have at least one hand free to perform it.M (Material): One or more physical substances consumed by the casting. Cost is negligible — covered by your spell component pouch — unless a gp value is listed.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Range
- touchHow far the spell reaches. Close = 25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels; Medium = 100 ft + 10 ft/level; Long = 400 ft + 40 ft/level. Personal = yourself; Touch = a creature or object you touch.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Target
- one or more humanoid corpses touchedHow the spell is aimed: a Target (specific creatures or objects), an Effect it creates (e.g. a wall or a summoned creature), or an Area shape (burst, cone, line, and so on). Some areas are shapeable. "Target or Area" means the spell uses either, at your choice.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Duration
- 1 day/levelHow long it lasts. Instantaneous resolves at once; Concentration lasts while you keep focusing; Permanent lasts until dispelled. A trailing "(D)" means you can dismiss it as a standard action.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Saving Throw
- noneIf a save is allowed, the target rolls Fortitude, Reflex, or Will: the result negates, gives partial, half, or no effect. "harmless" lets a willing target decline. Save DC = 10 + spell level + your casting ability modifier.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Spell Resistance
- noWhether a creature's spell resistance can block the spell (Yes/No). For "harmless" spells a willing creature may lower its SR to be affected.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
This spell turns corpses into skeletons (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 250) that act as crew and obey your commands to the extent of their abilities.
The undead you create are 1 Hit Die skeletons that possess Profession (sailor) scores equal to half your character level plus your Wisdom modifier (for clerics), Intelligence modifier (for witches and wizards), or Charisma modifier (for sorcerers and summoners). Each skeleton can perform the duties of one crew member but has no other abilities. The created skeletons cannot speak, attack, or even defend themselves. The only orders they obey are ones pertaining to the operation of a ship. Skeletal crew members are not proficient with any weapons or armor.
You can’t create more Hit Dice of skeletal crew members than twice your caster level with a single casting of skeleton crew. The desecrate spell doubles this limit.
The undead you create by casting skeleton crew remain under your control for the duration of the spell, and do not count against your limit of total Hit Dice worth of undead creatures you can control.
A skeletal crew member can only be created from a mostly intact humanoid corpse. The corpse must have bones. When you cast this spell, any flesh left on the corpses melts away into fog.
The undead you create are 1 Hit Die skeletons that possess Profession (sailor) scores equal to half your character level plus your Wisdom modifier (for clerics), Intelligence modifier (for witches and wizards), or Charisma modifier (for sorcerers and summoners). Each skeleton can perform the duties of one crew member but has no other abilities. The created skeletons cannot speak, attack, or even defend themselves. The only orders they obey are ones pertaining to the operation of a ship. Skeletal crew members are not proficient with any weapons or armor.
You can’t create more Hit Dice of skeletal crew members than twice your caster level with a single casting of skeleton crew. The desecrate spell doubles this limit.
The undead you create by casting skeleton crew remain under your control for the duration of the spell, and do not count against your limit of total Hit Dice worth of undead creatures you can control.
A skeletal crew member can only be created from a mostly intact humanoid corpse. The corpse must have bones. When you cast this spell, any flesh left on the corpses melts away into fog.